Mercury fillings

September 30, 2005 8:41 PM

Does a mercury filling open to saliva present a health problem?

I have had a verticle cracked molar tooth for the past six months. The enamal was lost (probably to chewing and swallowing) but the mercury filling remains intact. The tooth is open down to the gum. I rub my tongue over it a lot. It is cracked down to the gum. I know the arguments mercury versus non-mercury fillings. I have also not been able to afford a dentist to take care of this and am beginning to wonder if this is adversely affecting my health.

posted by goalyeehah to health (8 comments total)

by "mercury filling" do you mean amalgam? If so, then (as I understand it) they are typically not covered with enamel if they aren't readily visible. For instance I have straight amalgam fillings in all my wisdom teeth with no enamel (it is also cheaper that way). Also, my dad who's a physical chemist and has lots of fillings told me that he did a bunch of research on this (but I'm not exactly sure what kind of fillings he has), and that the mercury is part of the amalgam in a way that will not be released at measurable rates (or something to that effect). I am not him so I can't do anything more than repeat that here.
posted by advil at 9:17 PM on September 30, 2005

From your message, I understand that you aren't worried about the mercury itself. However, enamel protects your teeth and extra crevasses present yet another place for debris and bacteria to collect. It seems to me that you are setting yourself up for further decay, infection or another problem.

If you can't afford a dentist, contact your local community college's dental hygiene program. You should at least be able to get a cheap cleaning. Then you can talk to the hygienist instructor, who checks over the work of the trainee.

In the meantime, contact your local dental school and sign up for their free / cheap dental check-up. There may be a long wait list, so that's why I recommend starting the process and going to the dental hygiene program at the same time.
posted by acoutu at 9:19 PM on September 30, 2005

Actually, it IS the filling I am worried about.

The side of the tooth is gone. There is no pain.
posted by goalyeehah at 9:46 PM on September 30, 2005

Oh, I see. But is the side of the tooth open, or just the filling?
posted by acoutu at 9:59 PM on September 30, 2005

I've had several large amalgam fillings, totally exposed and forming part of the tooth surface, for fifty years or so. In fact a couple of my teeth are mostly amalgam. I'm healthy, and in good shape, with no problems caused by mercury. Your fillings are probably not much different than mine, and you've little to worry about. Despite the push to eliminate mercury from the environment, mercury fillings are not unsafe.
posted by anadem at 10:10 PM on September 30, 2005

Same here, 50 year old fillings, no problems.
I think the concern was about the exposure to mercury during the original process of getting them in there, which in your case is long over, and apparently you survived. They quit using mercury some years back, I don't remember how long, but a long time.
There was a phase there where they tried to blame mercury fillings for most of the health ills of modern civilization, but I think they gave up on that theory a while back.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 5:38 AM on October 1, 2005

I think the perservatives in vaccines are the new mercury fillings.
posted by Carbolic at 8:08 AM on October 1, 2005

Outgassing from mercury in dental amalgam is a health risk for a small number of susceptible people. Because those fillings border on universal, the susceptible people are indeed likely to actually get the amalgam fillings and feel the health effects, which are cumulative and long-term. It is certainly true that dental amalgam is harmless for most people.
posted by joeclark at 1:08 PM on October 2, 2005